I've noticed that when people ask how far I've run and I say '8k' or whatever, they usually say 'very good' or something similar. If I add, 'that's 5 miles' or whatever, they are always much more impressed (maybe explains something about Brexit, that many Brits have never really got their heads around metric). So I thought, 'I would really like to say that I have run 10 miles', even if it's only once. Running these distances is time consuming, when you are slow as me.
It was only a vague musing when I wrote my goal on my family WhatsApp group, but when my Ultra and Ironman niece told me I was 'Badass' (rather than 'slowass'), the plan became a little more 'real'.
I had a bad night's sleep and probably was not hydrated enough (dinner and wine out last night). Felt anxious and spent more time than was really necessary faffing but I set off with the aim of 11 and a bit K's or 7 miles. The first 5ks were standard although at 3, I was ticking off a quarter at 4, a third etc. The headwind was a bit of a hindrance but kept me cool.
Then when I got to about 6k, I slipped into 'the zone' and the next 3 or 4k's just slipped by. I was in my head and listening to my music, as the scenery slipped by. I did wonder how the headwind on the way out, became a headwind on the way back however.
I put the dog back on the lead and he helped me up the b*****d hill at 10k. I was listening to a Spotify playlist ('come home happy', which was what I was hoping for) and S Club lifted my spirits with 'Reach' (S Club were my little boy's favourite when he was about 6, so took me back to happy times- he's 26 now and has become very cool despite obsession with S Club ).
Turned down the final lane and hit 11k. Even managed a bit of a speed up at the end. I am very proud to report 11.25ks (or 7 MILES!) and I really enjoyed myself. Next weekend is 12k.... Gulp
Oh well done Helen! Call it what you will, miles or kilometers, you ran the distance 🙂
It's funny this metric v imperial thing. Although I'm "old school" I've always worked in kms for running but not for anything else although I've now got used to it for gardening. But when I tell my friends "I've run xyz kms" most of them then ask "how many miles is that then?" And you're right they seem to be more impressed about the miles 😏
After the 10 miles mark it's definitely miles though 😳🙂💪
I was still on primary school when metres, KMs etc came in. Confusing as heck because the country still used Imperial. Then moving around from "Imperial" to "Metric" countries fouled up my brain cells even more, then settling here where is still Imperial....
Anyway - point being....TEN MILES is a great feeling It will be worth it, you'll see, "16.09 clicks" just doesn't sound as robust 😊
As for metric units... we never adopted the kilometre, most people have no clue how far 10k is! Doubt we will change back the units we did adopt either.
I was once looking at buying a carpet and was telling the salesman how many feet I needed, and he told me they only sold in in square metres. So, quick calculation and I have my room size in metric... deal almost done and I think about joins, and ask how wide roll was... the answer... 15 feet! 🤪. Many packages contain “454 grams” of food... so the metric system didn’t really change anything... or simplify anything but maths class. Of course sometimes there’s no hope... in my local Morrisons at the cheese counter I asked for a pound of the cheddar... the girl behind the counter said she had no idea how much that was... so I said ok, give me half a kilo... she didn’t know how much that was either... I told her she was in the wrong job and wondered off to get some prepacked stuff instead.
I’m weird... I often run laps of the junior parkrun course, so they’re almost exactly 1k each, and my updates come in every half mile... so I have the best of both as I notice laps ending and get an update during them.
I imagine runners think in kilometres because most events are in kilometres (except marathons and half marathons, which are odd in either currency). If you fancy achieving 10 miles, I would thoroughly recommend signing up for the Great South Run, it’s the only major event I think of that is 10 miles. In Portsmouth, it’s also dead flat (but can be windy).
Great run Helen, well done! I've always used miles. It means I only have to translate into Kms for other runners! Around this time last year I had the same goal as you. Unfortunately I got to just over 9 and got an injury, probably from a combination of hills, progressing distance too quickly and, worst of all, ignoring a niggle. 🙄 Taking it slowly is the way to go. You can definitely do this!! 😀💪
Rods and poles as well. I flummoxed someone last week when I explained that a cricket pitch length was 1 chain and was derived from the area a man could plough in a day.
Mind you, I know nothing about Cricket except I miss watching it on the handful of lovely Summer days I was lucky enough to attend matches in England
Watching it is, for me, almost a Zen experience. So calm, peaceful and I never saw anything other than Gentlemanly behavior.
When I lived in Calcutta I was brought to the CCC a few times. Never saw a game there, the full size Billiard table and we'll stocked Bar we're fully utilised though, and to my share I had no idea I was in such a significant place when it comes to the Game.
I did read last year that it's starting to be "discovered" by College kids over here, but it'll never be the same as seeing the green grass grounds of Lord's and a Club I always try to see in Sussex.
Still have no clue about rules or how to read the Scores - I just like watching how graceful it can be.
PS - did you know the Maratime Limit of twelve miles for sea bordering Nations is twelve miles because back in the day that was the furthest distance a ship-fired cannon ball could reach?
The distance between the benches in Parliament were set as the distance between two sword lengths - and when you here the bickering that goes on in there it was VERY practical to set them there 😂
True story. I was in a meeting with a colleague of about my own age and 3 others from an outside agency negotiating a contract. At one point the lights in the meeting room and elsewhere went off. I said "someone's forgotten to put a shilling in the meter". One of the guest who was French said "what is shilling?. I then quickly explained our old currency of 20 shillings to the pound, and 12 pence to the shilling and therefore 240 pence to the pound. This completely confused everyone except myself and my colleague
After a further discussion about the contract we came to the bit confirming the price. I said "so that's a total value of £102,000 Guineas". The French guest said "What is Guineas?". I then explained that this was a shilling and a pound. a pound was 20 shillings made up to 12 pence etc.
My colleague then swore at this and the Frenchman said "What is Firkin?" I said there a 4 firkins in a barrel ......
(last bit not true but it is what I wanted to happen)
😂 Deeply reminds me of starting teaching when there were a few leftovers to teach outside of decimalised money. I was only 5 years from the USA and barely hanging in there myself with weights & measures. Thank goodness I never had to teach long division of old money!
Ironically the old system was based on being able to divide it up in the first place. So a shilling is easily divisible by 2, 3, 4,6 and a pound by the same plus 5, 8, 10, 12, 18, 20, 24, 40, 48,60, 80, 120 etc. Any combinations of the factors 2, 3, 4, 5 in fact.
And there were also halfpennies and farthings.
Clearly once it goes beyond everyday purchases it all gets a bit tricky. Especially when the weights oz, lbs, st, cwt and tons are thrown in. St or stones is a mystery to me, 14lbs to the stone?
It's probably the weight of cosh required to brain the person who came up with it all.
A possible upside was that the kids did develop a deep underlying concept of working to bases other than 10. Not sure it was useful to most.... But some supposedly “less able” kids were brill with money and weights, so it did stop you classifying them as dim!!! Ah, nostalgia 😊
I've just noticed from this that there is a lot of money based slang. Thruppennies, Copper, A penny short of a shilling (and variations thereof), let's have your tuppence worth, you look like you lost a bob and picked up a shilling etc
Wow...super duper distance Hidden whatever it's expressed in!!! I have to admit though, when I ran 5k for the very first time I was dead impressed that I'd run 3 miles...that is a long way!!! And I think that's why I changed to metric because if I thought I had to run by the mile it would seem like yonks...but miles or kms, this is a brilliant run you have under you belt x
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Which one of you has stolen Coach B? Come on! ‘Fess up!!
I've found my hill 😲
Come in Number 7191 Your Time Is Up And Its A New 10k PB ! 
Pride comes before a fall
Scotland, here I come running!
